Making Silk Fusion
by Sue Bleiweiss

What you'll need:
* Silk fibers - soy silk or tussah silk
* Jo Sonja's Textile Medium
* Nylon Netting (aka tulle)
* Hot Water
* Liquid dish soap    

Use either soy or tussah silk fibers to make silk fusion. Both work equally well.

Step 1: Put down a piece of netting a little larger than the sheet of fusion you want to make. Pull off a short length of silk fibers and place the on the netting a few inches in from the edge. Pull off another short length of silk and place it next to the first overlapping them slightly. Continue until you have the size sheet of silk fusion that you wish to make.

 

Once you have laid down your first layer add another one on top at right angles to the one below it.



Step 2:  When you have completed the second layer, put another piece of netting on the top of the silk and use a paintbrush to paint both sides of the sandwich with hot water mixed with 1 or 2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap. Make sure that your silk sandwich is totally saturated or you will have un-fused sections in your final paper. Use your hands to smooth the sandwich and help to push the water solution through the layers.

Step 3: Use a rag to pat some of the excess water out of the fusion and then paint each side with the JoSonja’s textile medium (undiluted) through the netting and hang your fusion to dry completely. This may take anywhere from 6 hours to overnight depending on your climate. Once the paper is completely dry, remove the netting. If your paper has completely dried then the netting should pull off quite easily.

Step 4: Heat set the medium; pressing on both sides with a hot iron using a press cloth.

The finished paper:


 
The flat silk paper can be used to construct three-dimensional objects such as boxes, lampshades, bowls, jewelry, journal covers and more. Essentially anything that you can create with traditional paper or fabric you can make with silk fusion!

If you would like to try making silk fusion you'll need silk fiber, Jo Sonja's Textile Medium, and some tulle.  Click here to see all of the hand dyed soy silk, here for Jo Sonya's Textile Medium, or here for tulle.

Sue teaches a number of online classes at joggles.  Click here to see them.

Click here to visit Sue's website.

Text & images copyright 2006 Sue Bleiweiss.  You may not copy or reproduce this information without explicit written permission.